Wigan schoolboy running a mile every day of Advent to raise money for Alder Hey

Joe Harold, who plays for Hindley ARLFC, decided to take on this challenge after watching Pride of Britain and seeing the inspirational efforts of Kevin Sinfield.

To inspire him further, one of his best friends, Kai, needed open heart surgery when he was born and the charity means a lot to them.

Joe’s mum Sarah, 37, said: “Joe has shown loads of resilience, and I’m really proud of him.

“When the weather has been really bad and we’ve got soaking wet, he’s still done it with his bob hat and gloves.

“I’ve been out with him, as well as his grandad, his grandma and different family members.

“On Christmas Day, a group of us will go out on his last run. We thought it would be good to do it as an advent event.”

Passionate rugby fan Joe, who turns 10 on Boxing Day, has also been supported by Wigan Warriors during one day of his challenge.

After taking part in a training session at Robin Park, Morgan Smithies and Joe Shorrocks cheered him on as he completed the mile with his Hindley teammates and coach.

So far, he has managed to raise over £600, having started on December 1, and will continue going with the hope of reaching his target of £1,000.

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here and viewing our offers.